Ariz. targets 'anchor baby' citizenship

The author of Arizona’s controversial new immigration law is considering a new proposal that would block the children of illegal immigrants from becoming citizens if they were born in the United States.

Critics of the bill that Republican state Sen. Russell Pearce is weighing say it would fly in the face of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which grants citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.

Story Continued Below

Pearce has been hinting for months that he may introduce legislation targeting the so-called anchor babies but had not detailed his plan until an interview last week with Time magazine.

“This is an orchestrated effort by them to come here and have children to gain access to the great welfare state we’ve created,” Pearce said of Hispanic immigrants.

Pearce contended that the bill would not violate the 14th Amendment, saying only that “we would write it right.”

Previous efforts to get around the citizenship provisions in the amendment, including one in the late 19th century challenging the citizenship of the children of Chinese immigrants, have been unsuccessful.

Still, Gov. Jan Brewer and other Arizona Republicans have indicated their support.

“It is illegal to trespass into our country. It has always been illegal, and people have determined that they want to take that chance,” Brewer said in a recent interview with Tucson ABC affiliate KGUN. “They can take their children back with them.”

One Phoenix-area school district is suing the state over the new immigration law that allows police to stop suspected illegal immigrants, contending that families with mixed immigration status would be split up — a concern that opponents would continue to highlight if Pearce’s bill were brought to a vote.

In response to the suit, Brewer said during the interview, “We are a nation of laws. That is why we are American. And there are consequences, unfortunately.”